Japan

Nearly one year ago, the Asia Program launched Dispatches, a blog that gathers analysis, commentary, and news on issues affecting the Asia-Pacific. In our first post, Asia Program Director Abraham Denmark predicted that 2018 would be “highly consequential,” and that “the distribution of the region’s economic, political, and military power is evolving rapidly, which will have profound implications for regional stability and for American interests.”

President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s recent meeting in Buenos Aires on the sidelines of the G-20 presented an image of two allies pleased with the progress they had made. The President praised Japan for reducing the bilateral trade deficit and for making significant military acquisitions from the United States.

In Hollywood, North Korea means drama. Films like The Interview (2014) or Red Dawn (2012) entertain and alarm at the same time. The fictional story of an attempt by CIA agents to assassinate Kim Jong-un, The Interview caused North Korea to mount a cyberattack on the distributor, Sony Pictures Entertainment. In Red Dawn, a group of American high school students stand up against North Korean troops invading the U.S. mainland.

With both the Republicans and Democrats declaring a victory in November’s U.S. midterm elections, uneasiness persists as to what the consequences of the results could actually mean. There is growing expectation that the political impasse will lead to greater entrenchment and less incentive to compromise on public policy. On the trade front, that may well lead to more uncertainties about tariffs and increased possibility of greater friction.

How is Japan navigating changes in global trade and its evolving economic relations with the United States, as well as the domestic expectations for Japan on the international stage? Those were the issues of focus at an event held in collaboration with the Social Science Research Council’s New Voice from Japan initiative, which seeks to introduce young and upcoming scholars in Japan to the world and tries to involve academics in the policy process.

It is natural for countries to feel anxious when their security depends on the commitments of an ally. This is why a critical part of American foreign policy since the end of the Second World War has been to reassure its allies in Europe and Asia alike that its commitment to their defense was rock-solid. History has also demonstrated that allies, when less certain about Washington’s security guarantee, begin to look elsewhere.

With the decreasing U.S. presence in both diplomacy and trade, Latin America has been looking to increase its trade partnerships beyond the hemisphere. While China’s presence cannot be overstated, Japan has actually been the biggest investor in the region to date most notably in key areas such as the technology sector.

The role that trade rules play in determining business strategy cannot be underestimated. Yet for all the discussions about expectations for emerging technologies to drive growth, the establishment of rules remains an under-explored issue worldwide.

The Wilson Center, chartered by Congress as the living memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, is the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum. In tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue, the Center informs actionable ideas for Congress, the administration, and the broader policy community.